John Troy, President of the Board of Education, resigned Monday, July 23. The resignation comes just two weeks after Troy voiced his interest in the district's vacant business manager position.
“I am resigning my position on the Mokena Elementary School District Board of Education effective today [July 23]. Concurrent with my resignation I am submitting my application for the school district business manager position,” Troy's letter read.
Meanwhile, vice president Patrick Markham assumed Troy's duties.
Markham, who has served on the board since 2011, told Patch he assumed the president role on July 23. Later that day, he was also sworn in as Frankfort Township Collector.
The Township reached out to Markham about the position, he said. Markham hopes to instill the same sense of fiscal responsibility within the Township that he has brought to District 159.
Markham said that he would like spark a sense of community involvement within the township as soon as possible, while also being able to continue to serve the District 159 community.
For more, see our coverage from earlier this week.
I would like to thank those in the township for allowing me to be a part of the group that I hold almost as models to the fiscal responsibility we are trying to achieve in the School District. In fact, I had reported that, perhaps it was another paper. I have sought advice from some Township and other budgetary conservatives to help me and some board members to navigate budgetary waters at the School District. In fact i found it quite an honor to be more interactive with a group that has held tax line hard and improved services. So far, it seems to me that the District is benefiting by moving out of Million Dollar deficit position. It seems we are even able to reduce fees for the children and move into the black. "Community", we are all in this together and so are all elected people. I am grateful there are people in the community, the township, the county that work hard, help all hold the line on Taxes not go for referendums. I have some big shoes to fill with John Troy leadership I look for all the help I can get to continue representing the community, trying to handle tax dollars with the utmost diligence. It is not easy. Then the easy path is rarely the right one.
No disrespect was meant by the term, but I can see your concern. It's been removed. Thanks, Lauren Traut Associate Regional Editor